OSA is dedicated to providing quality seed-related resources to the public free of charge. Our publications include policy reports, plant breeding and variety trial guides, seed production guides, online tutorials, worksheets, record sheets, and proceedings from our biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference. Please consider making a tax-deductable donation to OSA to ensure we are able to continue publishing cutting edge publications free of charge.

Policy Reports

State of Organic Seed (SOS) is an ongoing project to monitor the status of organic seed systems in the United States. The project aims to develop diverse stakeholder involvement in implementing policy, research, education, and market‐driven activities that result in the improved quality, integrity, and use of organic seed. This report is the first comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities in building the organic seed sector.

Plant Breeding and Variety Trials

This guide provides training in basic, on-farm experimental design, as well as tools to efficiently and effectively manage on-farm trials and utilize trial results. Readers will learn how to conduct on-farm variety trials and use the results of trials to direct their variety selection and seed purchasing choices in a manner that minimizes farm risk.

This report is the result of variety trials conducted in 2012 by Organic Seed Alliance in Arcata and San Jaun Bautista, California. Researchers evaluated close to 100 varieties, including varieties of broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, green beans, and Japanese cucumber. Data was collected from both on-farm trial locations in the summer and fall of 2012. This report includes detailed descriptions of trial locations, trial methods, trial result evaluations, and recommendations.

In 2009 OSA conducted variety trials in Jefferson County, WA for 11 different crops, with over 170 varieties, evaluating these varieties for their quality and marketability into the adverse weather conditions of fall and winter. The trial objective was to assist growers to expand their season and diversify their winter vegetable production on the Olympic Peninsula supporting increased availability of local foods. This report is the result of these trials and includes trial methods, results, recommendations, and trial evaluation data.

Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) is a highly effective on-farm breeding method that involves a close collaboration between farmers and researchers. The approach provides farmers an opportunity to adapt crop varieties to their specific regions and organic farming practices. The toolkit includes a background on the theory and practice of PPB, case studies of successful projects, and worksheets to facilitate project planning and execution.

This manual provides an overview of on-farm organic plant breeding methods, including an overview of basic genetics, farm-based experimental design, and appropriate breeding techniques for organic farms, among other useful background and instruction.

This manual teaches farmers how to breed sweet corn for organic production systems, including step-by-step instruction for developing breeding goals, identifying breeding material, performing breeding methods, and maintaining a new variety for quality and uniformity.

This manual teaches farmers how to breed tomatoes for organic production systems, including step-by-step instruction for developing breeding goals, identifying breeding material, performing breeding methods, and maintaining a new variety for quality and uniformity.

This manual teaches farmers how to breed carrots for organic production systems, including step-by-step instruction for developing breeding goals, identifying breeding material, performing breeding methods, and maintaining a new variety for quality and uniformity.

This report is the result of a variety trial conducted in 2014 by Organic Seed Alliance in Arcata, California. The goal of this trial is to provide coastal organic dairy farmers with better information about silage corn variety choices by evaluating 10 silage corn varieties in a systematic trial. The report includes trialing methods, results, and an overview discussion.

Seed Production

The presence of inclement weather during maturation and harvest may adversely affect all dry-seeded seed crops. By following preventative measures and preparing for inclement weather, growers can significantly reduce risks and prevent financial losses. The scope of this publication covers wet-weather-related harvesting issues and recommendations for dry-seeded crops in the Pacific Northwest.

This publication from OSA condenses years of farming, gardening, plant breeding and seed saving wisdom, as well as conversations with many prominent seed experts. The guide covers the basics of seed growing from choosing appropriate varieties for seed saving to harvesting, processing, and storing seed. It assumes that the reader has basic knowledge of vegetable growing.

This guide is intended for producers and agricultural professionals seeking information about organic seed production. Most of the resources are focused in the Western Region of the United States (OR, WA, ID, and CA), but much of the information may be applicable to all climatic regions. Each section of the guide includes a brief introduction followed by a list of available web and print resources and references to organizations and events.

This guide provides detailed climatic considerations, including environmental influences on pollination and fertilization, and the influence of temperature, day length, frost-free days, precipitation, and wind on seed production, for organic and specialty seed production in the Northwest U.S. The guide also includes sections on environmental management, crop selection for seed production, and history and geography of seed production in the Northwest.

This new publication aids organic seed producers in understanding the role and diversity of seed crop pollinators, as well as strategies for reducing pollen movement between organic and conventional farms. Profiles of common pollinators, strategies for managing pollination, and guidelines for specific crops are all included.

Use this worksheet to plan field variety trials. This document includes sections for desired variety traits, trial varieties used, planning tips, field assessments, trial layout, and evaluation criteria and timing.

Organic Seed Growers Conference Webinar Archive

Watch archived webinar sessions broadcasted live from the 7th Organic Seed Growers Conference held January 30 - February 1, 2014 in Corvallis, Oregon. The webinar series includes the following sessions: Why Organic Seed Matters and How to Meet the Demand; Research Update: Small Grains and Corn; Research Update: Vegetable Crops; Unpacking the Cell Fusion Debate; Pollinator Conservation Strategies for Organic Seed Producers; Managing Seed-Borne Diseases in Seed Production.